Free throw basketball return

ABSTRACT

A wheel equipped leg supported open framework forms an inverted truncated conical descending basketball guide disposed below a basket ring in communication with a chute terminating in a horizontal portion in spaced relation with respect to a basketball court free throw line for returning basketballs thrown through the ring to the player positioned at the free throw line. A combination leg brace and spare basketball supporting rack is horizontally disposed below the chute.

United States Patent Wiley Nov. 4, 1975 FREE THROW BASKETBALL RETURN Prima Examiner-Paul E. Sha iro 76 1 t 1 Wu D.Wl P.O.B 66, W P 1 men or g 3 8 0X Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert K. Rhea 22 Filed: Oct. 29 1974 1 57 ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.1 518,849

A wheel equipped leg supported open framework forms an inverted truncated conical descending bas- U-S. A ketball guide disposed below a basket in commu 1].. C162 nication a chute terminating in a horizontal po Fleld of Search A, R {ion in paced relation respect to a court free throw line for returning basketballs thrown References Cited through the ring to the player positioned at the free UNITED STATES PATENTS throw line. A combination leg brace and spare basket- 2,658,495 11/1953 Elliott 273/105 R X ball supporting rack is horizontally disposed belw the 2,939,705 6/1960 McCall, Jr. 273/15 A chute- 3,776,55O 12/1973 McNabb i 273/15 A 3,814,421 6/1974 Spier, Jr 273/1.5 A 1 Clam" 2 Drawmg F'gures \iilo I I i II I l 1 I |l /2\ 1' I: iii fi z 5i US. Patent Nov, 4, 1975 BACKGROUND QETHE INVENTION l. Fieldof the invention.

The;present invention relateslto athletic equipment and more particularly to an apparatus for returning a basketball to a player at the free throw line.

Basketball players must practice throwing the basketball through the basket ring in order to become proficient but since the free throw line is disposed 17 feet (5.18 meters) from the court end line, considerable time is wasted by a single player in retrieving the ball whether it passes through the ring or not.

This invention provides an apparatus whereby a single player may practice free throws with the basketball being returned to the player after each throw.

2. Description of the prior art.

Most ball return devices, as shown by the prior art, are directed to devices which simulate ball throwing and returning and are miniature games. Another ball return of this type is connected with the basket ring and ejects the ball out of the ring when thrown therethrough.

This invention provides a portable framework forming a throat for receiving the ball and a chute through which the ball rolls to return the ball to the ball player on a full size basketball court.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A plurality of legs, each having a supporting wheel at its depending end, supports an open type framework defining a hollow inverted truncated conical basketball receiving throat disposed near the depending limit of a basketball basket ring net for receiving a basketball thrown through the ring. The depending end portion of the throat communicates with the upwardly disposed end of a basketball chute which terminates in a laterally extending horizontally disposed portion in spaced relation with respect to a basketball court freeth row line so that a basketball falling into the throat will roll through the chute and fall to the surface of the basketball court near the position of the player positioned at the free throw line. The framework legs also support a rack for storing basketballs not in use.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a portable apparatus which may be positioned below a basketball basket ring for returning basketballs thrown through the ring to a player positioned at the free throw line to induce players to indulge in free throw practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device illustrating, by dotted lines, its relative position with respect to a basket ring; and,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates a basketball goal comprising a backboard having a basket ring 12 mounted on its forward surface with a basket net 14 connected with the ring.

;The numeral l,5 indica.t es thedevice as a whole,

' co mprising an open endedreceivingguideqr throat l6 communicating with a basketball chute 18.- The throat 1 6 is tubular inverted truncated conical ingeneital configuration defined bya horizontal top r ing 20 of substantially ,greater diameter than the basket ring 12 and a depending ring 22 of smaller diameter than the throat top ring 20 but diametrically substantially larger than the diameter of a basketball 24, The throat rings 20 and 22 are interconnected by a plurality of downwardly converging stems 26. The throat bottom ring 22 is connected with a plurality of rod-like bars, three in the example shown, indicated at 28, 29 and 30, which form the chute 18. The bars 28, 29 and 30, extend vertically downward from the throat ring 22 and are complementary curved laterally intermediate their ends to extend horizontally and terminate at the ejection of the chute defined by an arcuate band 32. Other arcuate bands 34, connected with the bars 28, 29 and 30, intermediate their ends, supports the bars in parallel relation.

A pair of elongated back legs 36 are connected with the throat bottom ring 22 in supporting relation and are each provided with fixed position lockable casters or wheels 38 at their depending end. The forward end of the chute 18 is supported by a front leg 40 having a swivelling caster wheel 42 at its depending end so that the device 15 may be easily positioned below the basket ring 12 and removed when not in use.

A horizontal basketball storage rack 44 and leg brace is positioned below the chute l8 and connected with the legs. The rack 44 is defined at one end by a horizontal rear leg brace 46 and at its other end by a horizontal bar 48 secured to the front leg. A plurality of rod-like elongated members 50, four in the example shown, are connected at their respective ends to the brace 46 and bar 48, respectively, in parallel spaced relation and arcuately depend therefrom, as at 52, and form horizontal intermediate parallel portions 54 with the spacing between any two of the members 50 being such that they support conventional size basketballs when placed thereon. The respective rods 50 are maintained in spaced relation by a plurality of loop members 56 and brace rods 58. The device 15 is preferably formed of lightweight material and may be tubular or any selected transverse cross sectional shape. Obviously a backboard and basket ring may be mounted on or supported by the framework to make the device self-contained for use where a basketball goal is not available.

OPERATION In operation the device 15 is positioned, as shown in FIG. 1, with the vertical axis of the throat l6 aligned with the axis of the basket ring 12 and the ejection end of the chute l8 projecting toward a player at the free throw line, not shown, of the basketball court. The player throws the basketball 24 at the ring 12 which, upon passing through or narrowly missing the ring, falls into the throat 16 and enters the chute 18 wherein the momentum of the ball carries it through the chute so that it falls by gravity to the basketball floor and bounces toward the player for retrieval.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations without defeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown by the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

1. A basketball practice apparatus, comprising:

3 ,9 l 7 ,263 3 4 vertically open throat means formed from rod-like a bi i l brace d b ll Supporting rack material f"; an inverted truncated conical tending horizontally between and connected with shape for receiving a descending basketball; said g below said chute means chute meanshavmg one end portion coaxial with the y, the momentum of a falling basketball depending end of said throat means and terminat- 5 h d ing, at its other end portion, laterally of the vertical passmg through Sal t mat means an Sal chute i f Said throat means; means returns the basketball toward a player a plurality of legs supporting said throat means and near the terminal and 0f S Chu e eanssaid chute means; and, 

1. A basketball practice apparatus, comprising: vertically open throat means formed from rod-like material defining an inverted truncated conical shape for receiving a descending basketball; chute means having one end portion coaxial with the depending end of said throat means and terminating, at its other end portion, laterally of the vertical axis of said throat means; a plurality of legs supporting said throat means and said chute means; and, a combination leg brace and ball supporting rack extending horizontally between and connected with said legs below said chute means, whereby, the momentum of a falling basketball passing through said throat means and said chute means returns The basketball toward a player near the terminal end of said chute means. 